Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerThick coastal fog kept almost everyone away from the beaches of the Jersey Shore on May 24, a day before 2012 Memorial Day weekend begins. A lone quartet of beachgoers sit together at 3rd Avenue in Belmar.

The recent pattern of cloudy, humid weather with a significant chance of showers and thunderstorms will continue for the rest of today, according to the National Weather Service.

More sun is expected tomorrow and Memorial Day is expected to provide weather more favorable than today’s for ceremonies, parades and barbecues.

Today’s greatest chance for showers and thunderstorms in central and northern New Jersey will come this afternoon and during the early evening, said Dave Scheibe, observation program leader at the weather service’s office in Mount Holly.

“There will be heavy rainfall in some areas,” said Scheibe, with high temperatures in the mid-80s.

Scheibe pointed out that because this weather pattern involves “convection” rainfall, it’s hard to predict exactly where it will strike. Rain will hit continually in small pockets in scattered areas, he said, and may become heavy and bring flooding.

“It definitely will cause issues with outdoor activities,” Scheibe said. He added that the sun may come out, but that could provide false hope of a turnaround and would actually represent “further instability.”

The weather tomorrow, on Memorial Day, is forecast as “partly sunny,” Scheibe said.

The weather service is predicting a “slight” chance of rain tomorrow – 20 percent – with high temperatures reaching into the upper 80s.